Probiotics, are live microbes that when ingested in high enough quantities confer a health benefit for the host (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization, “Health and Nutritional Properties of Probiotics in Food Including Powdered Milk with Live Bacteria” (2001)), are gaining traction as a viable option for treating enteric diseases (Hemarajata and Versalovic, (2013) Effects of Probiotics on Gut Microbiota: Mechanisms of Intestinal Immunomodulation and Neuromodulation, Therap Adv Gastroenterol, 6:39-51).
Under the right conditions, many probiotics can effectively prevent pathogen colonization due to either direct (e.g., production of antimicrobial defenses) or indirect (e.g., stimulation of host defenses) mechanisms. Few probiotic species are able to both prevent pathogen colonization and limit excessive inflammatory responses. This is important, however, because excessive colonic inflammation in response to colonic infection can lead to the development of protracted illness, such as post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome. Thus, the development of probiotics that are able to prevent excessive immune responses to colonic pathogens, while still maintaining anti-bacterial immunity would have the ability to prevent both short-term and longer-term health effects of enteric infection. This disclosure provides formulations that address this unmet need and provides related advantages as well.